Apparatus for tipping hair including a tube for receiving a tuft of hair and having an expansion chamber



Jan. 3, 1967 P. AMATO 3,295,535

APPARATUS FOR TIPPING HAIR INCLUDING A TUBE FOR RECEIVING A TUFT OF HAIR AND V HAVING AN EXPANSION CHAMBER Filed March 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Peter A BY M, 0-6 YMAM 1 KT TORNEYS mate 2 Jan. 3, 1967 P. AMATO APPARATUS FOR TIPPING HAIR INCLUDING ATUBE FOR RECEIVING A TUFT OF HAIR AND HAVING AN EXPANSION CHAMBER Filed March 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Perer Amoto United States Patent C APPARATUS FOR TIPPING HAIR INCLUDING A TUBE FOR RECEIVENG A TUFT OF HAIR AND HAVING AN EXPANSION CHAMBER Peter Amato, 499 Hillside Blvd, New Hyde Park, Long Island, NY. 10804 Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 355,153 7 Claims. (Cl. 132--9) This invention relates to an apparatus for tipping hair and more particularly to an apparatus whereby discrete strands of hair may be subjected to atreating agent without danger of the agent contacting the scalp of the person being treated and without discomfort to the person being treated.

Problems existing in tipping of hair under conventional methods are the length of time required for treatment, the discomfort which accompanies such treatment, and the danger that the bleaching agent used to treat the hair may come in contact with the scalp of the person being so treated. A conventional method of treatment is for the person to be treated to wear a tight fitting rubber cap having a plurality of very small holes through which the strands of hair to be treated are pulled, the purpose of the cap being to separate the strands of hair being treated. The pulling of the hair through the small holes is a painful process as the hair is first grasped by inserting a hook, usually a steel crochet needle, through one of the holes in the cap, turning the hook to grasp a strand of hair and then pulling the hook and strand of hair out through the small hole in the cap. The hook may have to be inserted in the same hole a number of times in order to gather suflicient hairs to make a single strand. The individual strands of hair to be treated are then subjected to a treating agent whereby the operator runs a brush or wad of cotton containing the agent over the strands. A sheet of aluminum foil is then placed on the patrons head over the treated strands to prevent the agent from drying. The agent is then left on the hair for a considerable period of time, usually about an hour, in order that it may react with the hair to give the proper color.

Other methods of tipping have been proposed wherein a discrete strand of hair is either wrapped around a rod-like member and inserted into a vial which contains the bleaching or dyeing agent or wherein the strand of hair is pulled into a vial after which a treating agent is sealed in the vial in contact with the strand of hair. These latter methods, while eliminating the need of the person being treated wearing a cap, have proved unsatisfactory because no provision is made for gases which evolve as the chemicals making up the treating agent react with one another and with air contained in the vial. These gases tend to increase the pressure within the vial and to break any seal between the vial and strand of hair with the result that there is danger of the treating agent leaking from the vial onto the scalp of the person being treated. Since the treating agents normally combine a bleaching powder with solutions of peroxide, the gases evolved are considerable.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide an apparatus which eliminates the necessity of the person being treated wearing a tight fitting cap and being subjected to the discomforts of having individual strands of hair being pulled through small holes in the cap. It is a further object of the invention to provide for an apparatus by which individual strands of hair to be treated may be tightly sealed within a transparent vial-like member which at the same time will provide means by which gases evolved by reaction of the chemicals in the treating agent may be accommodated so that the hair to be treated will at all times remain tightly sealed within the tubular vial. By providing such an apparatus, the time of the treatment may be shortened as the vial containing the hair may be subjected to heat, for example, by a hair dryer, whereby the reaction time of the treating agent may be shortened.

Broadly the device according to my invention comprises a vial-like member, preferably transparent, adapted to receive an individual strand of hair wherein the vial member has a first valve means positioned on one end which may sealingly engage with a strand of hair contained within the vial member. The other end of the vial member has a second valve means through which a rod containing a hook on one end may be inserted in order that a strand of hair may be pulled in the member through the first valve means. After the strand of hair has been pulled into the member and the first valve means closed so as to sealingly engage with the strand of hair, the hook is removed through the second valve means and the treating agent injected into the member through second valve means. After the treating agent has been injected into the member, the second valve means is closed and the member may, if desired, then be subjected to heat in order to speed the reaction time of the treating agent, In

addition, an expansion chamber is included in the device which is in pressure communication with the interior of the vial member in order to accommodate the increase in pressure resulting from gases evolved by the reaction of the ingredients in the treating agent.

Referring to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of my invention are illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a device constructed according to the invention illustrating a strand of hair about to 'be pulled into the device;

FIG. 2 is a view of the device similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the position of a strand of hair within the device;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device of FIG. 2 taken along lines 3-3 showing the valve surrounding the strand of hair open;

FIG. 4 is a side View of the device shown with the bleaching or dyeing agent being injected therein;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the device taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing the valve sealingly closed around astrand of hair; and

a FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a modified embodiment of the device illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a vial-like member 1 which comprises a perforated tubular member 2 having positioned on either end thereof valve means 3 and 4. The valve means 3 and 4 are preferably what are commonly known as flexible sleeve iris-type valves and each valve comprises generally a flexible sleeve 6 made of rubber or other flexible, resilient material, one end of which is Wrapped around an annular member 7 and sealed to an inner portion 8 thereof. The other end of the sleeve 6 is sealed at 9 to a collar 10' which surrounds the perforated tubular member 2 at both ends. By turning the annular member 8 of either .valve in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from a neutral position where the sleeve 6 is untwisted, the valve will be caused to close much like the lens of a camera when the sleevelike portion is caused to twist. The valve is opened by untwisting the sleeve-like portion 6 back to a neutral or untwisted position.

The tubular member 2, in addition, has an outer casing 11 surrounding it which is also sealed to the annular collars 10 at its ends and which is spaced from the tubular member 2. The space between the casing 11 and tubular member 2 provides an expansion space which communicates with the interior of the tubular member 2 through the perforations 11'. Preferably, both the casing 11 and member 2 are made of a transparent material in order that strands of hair on the interior of the tube and the treating agent within the member may be observed.

For treatment, a rod-like member 12 having a hook 13 on one end is inserted through the tubular member 2 and valves 3 and 4 which are open. The hook is manipulated to grasp a strand of hair after which the rod and hook are withdrawn so that the strand of hair caught by the hook is pulled into the member 2 as shown in FIG. 2. The valve 3 is then closed by rotating it so as to twist the sleeve portion 6 until it tightly grasps and seals around the outer periphery of the strand of hair as shown in FIG. 5. The member 12 is then manipulated so as to be unhooked from the strand of hair and the hook and rod are withdrawn.

A treating agent is then injected from a container 16 into the interior of the tubular member 2 through the open valve 4 as shown in FIG. 4. Preferably, the container 16 containing the treating agent has a spout 17 on the end which is approximately the same length as the .member 2 and which may fit into the valve 4. The

tubular member is filled taking care to avoid any air pockets by first turning the device so that the open end containing valve 4 is above the closed end engaging the strand of hair. The spout 17 is then inserted completely in the member 2 and by squeezing the container 16, while at the same time slowly lifting the spout 17 out of the member 2, the member 2 may be completely filled with the treating agent after which the valve 4 is closed. At this point, the strand of hair within'the tubular member is completely sealed and no treating agent within the member may leak out.

Any gases evolved from reaction of the chemicals within-the treating agent or expansion of the treating agent are accommodated in the space between the casing 11 and tubular member 2 which serves as an'expansion chember. An additional means to compensate for expansion or increase of pressure within the device may be provided by the resilient side walls of the sleeve portion 6 of both valves. Upon further increase in pressure, the sleeve 6 will stretch and bow outwardly. A still further provision can be made if the treating agent is such that an abnormal amount of gas is. evolvedby including a plurality of very small breather holes in the be thrown away, it not being necessary to clean the device for further use.

Reference is made to FIG. 6 which illustrates a further embodiment of my invention which comprises a molded with the member 21. Sleeve portions 22, which correspond to sleeve portion 6 of the device shown in FIG. 1, have beaded ends 23 which in the'assembled configuration are folded back onto the exterior of the sleeve as shown in FIG. 6. The sleeves 22 and beaded portion 23 form an iris-type valve similarto that shown in FIGS.

1-5 and the operation of the valve is the same with the. valve being closed by turning the beaded portion 23 from a neutral position where the sleeve 22 is untwisted.

The increase of pressure within the member 20 resulting from swelling of the. treating agent or from gases. evolved in the reaction process is compensated for by 7 expansion of the outer casing 21. The casing when expanded, as shown in dotted line in FIG. 6, forms an expansion chamber between the outer periphery of the a member 20 and the interior of the casing where the expansion chamber is connected with the interior of member 20 through perforations 20'.

As in the device of FIG. 1, it is desirable that the material making up the casing 21 and member 20 be transparent in order that the hair within the tubular member may be observed during treatment in order'to insure proper coloring. The advantage of the construcperiphery of the sleeve portion 6 such that when there is an increase of pressure to bow out the sleeve portion 6, the small holes will be stretched so as to open and allow the escape of gas to atmosphere. Under normal conditions, however, the resiliency of the sleeve portions 6 are such that these holes are sealed. These small holes in the sleeve would be included only in the valve next to the scalp end of the device which, because of the position in which the devices hang bythe strands of hair, would be above the opposite or filling end of the device.

It is seen that by making the device as described above,-

gases evolved during reaction of the treating agent may be accommodated and because the gases may be accommodated, it is possible to speed up the reaction process by application of heat. Because the device is small, a number of devices may be used to treat a number of strands of hair at the same time and still leave room so that a hair dryer might fit over the head of the person being so treated in order that heat may be applied to speed the reaction process.

The material making up the device comprises for the most part thin rubber sleeve portions which are included in the valve and molded portions which make up the annular inserts and collars, outer casing and tubular member. The result is that the device can be manufactured economically and can be made in suflicient numaers so that they can be made disposable. After treatnent, the device is merely pulled olf the strand of hair and the device along with the treating agent may then tion as shown in FIG." 6 is that it is madeup ofa minimum of easily manufactured parts which, in turn, reduces the cost of the device.

It is apparent that a hair treating device constructed according to the description above has a number of advantages over prior art devices. Among these advantages are that evaporation of the treating agent is minimized, different treating agents such as bleaching pastes, dyes or color toners may be used, hair close to the scalp may be treated, the time of treatment may be shortened by application of heat by means of a conventional hair dryer without undue discomfort to the person being treated, and when transparent materials are used, the.

effect of the treating agent on the hair may be readily checked.

While I have illustrated two embodiments of my novel apparatus for tipping hair, it is obvious that other slight mechanical changes could be made and still come with in the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A hair treating device comprising a vial member adapted to receive an individual strand of hair and a treating agent, a first valve means positioned at one end of said vial member through which an individual strand of hair may be pulled and .which is adapted to sealingly engage the interior of said vial member about the strand of hair, a second valve means adapted .to sealingly close the end of said vial member opposite said first valve means, and through which a treating agent may be injected into the vial member, and an expansion chamber in pressure communication with the interior of said vial member to accommodate increase in pressure resulting from gases evolved from the treating agent.

2. A hair treating device comprising a perforated tubular member for receiving a strand of hair and a treating agent, a first valve means positioned at one end of said tubular member through which a strand of hair may be V pulled and which is adapted to seal the strand of hair within the tubular member, a second valve means posit1oned at the opposite end of the tubular member from the first valve means through which a treating'agent may I be injected into the tubular member, and a casing spaced from and surrounding said perforated tubular member with the ends of said casing being sealed with the ends of the tubular member whereby the space between said casing and said tubular member forms an expansion chamber to accommodate gases evolved from the treating agent.

3. A hair treating device according to claim 2 wherein said tubular member and said casing comprise a transparent material.

4. A hair treating device according to claim 2 wherein said first and second valve means comprise a flexible sleeve iris-typevalve.

5. A hair treating device comprising a perforated tubular member for receiving a strand of hair and a treating agent, a resilient casing surrounding said tubular member with the ends of said tubular member being sealed with respect to said casing, and valve means positioned on either end of the said tubular member whereby one of said valve means is adapted to sealingly engage with a strand of hair pulled through said valve means into the tubular member and the other of said valve means is adapted to have a treating agent injected through it 6 into the tubular member, and whereby the resilient flexi- -ble casing forms a side wall of an expansion chamber to accommodate increase of pressure within the tubular member during the treating period.

6. A hair treating device according to claim 5 wherein the valve means are flexible sleeve iris-type valves with the sleeve portion of the valve being integral with the casing.

7. A hair treating device according to claim 5 wherein said perforated tubular member and said resilient casing comprise a transparent material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,655,924 10/1953 Petitta 1329 2,819,721 1/1958 Zakon 132-7 RICHARD. A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

L. \V. TRAPP, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HAIR TREATING DEVICE COMPRISING A VIAL MEMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN INDIVIDUAL STRAND OF HAIR AND A TREATING AGENT, A FIRST VALVE MEANS POSITIONED AT ONE END OF SAID VIAL MEMBER THROUGH WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL STRAND OF HAIR MAY BE PULLED AND WHICH IS ADAPTED TO SEALINGLY ENGAGE THE INTERIOR OF SAID VIAL MEMBER ABOUT THE STRAND OF HAIR, A SECOND VALVE MEANS ADAPTED TO SEALINGLY CLOSE THE END OF SAID VIAL MEMBER OPPOSITE SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS, AND THROUGH WHICH A TREATING AGENT 